Advantages

Disadvantages

Maybe too much even for soya lovers

At irregular intervals I try out soya yoghurts on my dairy-allergic son. We've tried a number of products, such as Alpro's flavoured yoghurts and none have gone down very well. The soya taste tends to be quite strident and unpleasant in yoghurts, unlike some other replacement products. Considering that my son drinks soya milk on a daily basis it surprises me that he doesn't seem to like the yoghurts, but we haven't found one yet that appeals to him.

This time I thought I'd take a punt with the Alpro plain yogurt, thinking we would mix it with his favourite fruits or sauces to tempt his taste-buds.

It's available in the chiller cabinets of most supermarkets alongside dairy yoghurts. It's a 500g pot and is about the same price as similar dairy products. It's packaged nicely with the dark blue Alpro brand name. The product uses non-gm ingredients and is suitable for vegans as well as the dairy-intolerant. It should be kept in the fridge at home.

When you open it, it is a slightly yellower colour than a dairy yoghurt would be. The consistency appears similar to normal yoghurts, until you try to pour it out or spoon it, at which point it separates slightly and looks lumpy, rather like curdled milk. This is rather off-putting.

The smell isn't particularly strong, and isn't dissimilar to an ordinary plain dairy yoghurt. On first taste, it's not unpleasant - cool and creamy - but then the soya kicks in strongly with that horrible drying feeling across your palate and back of the throat. It's really very sour indeed.

Having tried it myself beforehand, I wasn't at all surprised when my son rejected it on its own, but thought perhaps mixing it with something he loves would change his reaction. But even mixed with maple syrup, my last hope, the sourness and lingering aftertaste were too much for him. Ah well, another attempt at introducing yoghurt to his diet failed, horribly.

Alpro have several recipes that they suggest for use with this product, which may be very nice but I'm reluctant to go to the effort of trying them out, given the strength of the taste.

Alpro strive to be ethical, aiming to become carbon-neutral by 2020. The pot doesn't appear to be recyclable, although it has the green-spot which indicates Alpro make efforts towards recycling in general. It is a great size for junk-modelling, however!

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

A good ingredient to add to other things but I wouldn't recommend eating it straight from the pot.

This is a plain soya yogurt that is suitable for vegans and those who suffer nut, gluten or wheat allergies.You need to give it a good shake before opening otherwise it can be a bit thick on top and watery underneath. Once open you'll need to either shake again before using or stir well.It has a thick consistency but has a very sour taste; it's not a sweet yogurt at all.I would recommend using the yogurt with other things and, unless you really like plain yogurt, not eat it on its own. I've tried stirring in golden syrup and that helps to take away some of the bitterness. I've also discovered it goes well in homemade fruit smoothies, with fruit muesli or as part of a dip. It comes in a large pot so you get plenty of servings from it.It seems widely available at most supermarkets and normally costs just over a pound which I think is quite reasonable.

Comments

Advantages

Disadvantages

For the sophisticated palate!

Alpro Soya organic plain yoghurt was my first experience of soya products, and almost put me off for life!! Having read a great deal about the numerous health benefits of this product I decided to give it a go. This product comes in a 500ml size plastic container with a foil lid. I was very impressed by the amount of nutritional information written on the packaging. Furthermore, it states it is suitable for nut allergy sufferers, vegetarians and vegans which is great for me as I have a severe nut, fish and shellfish allergy. Peeling back the lid I knew this yoghurt was not for me. Not only was the consistency unappealing , but the smell was sharp and sour. The yoghurt was partially set and lumpy with a watery top layer which I had to mix before tasting. It is very bitter tasting with a long, lingering almost metallic after taste. I can only say that this product would be suitable for hardened soya lovers. It is certainly an acquired taste! I think it would be best used in a recipe and certainly not to be enjoyed by itself. I recently visited Alpro website to discover there are many recipes which utilise this product really well including mushroom stroganoff, mixed pepper goulash etc. I am pleased to say this experience did not put me off soya products and I find the fruit flavour versions of this product far more palateable.